Festival of the Horse & Boys Ploughing Match
The Festival Of The Horse and The South Ronaldsay Ploughing Match, Orkney Isles
I was granted access to photograph these two unique Orcadian events which happen on the same day in August. The Festival Of The Horse & The South Ronaldsay Ploughing Match . I am facinated by the unique culture of the Orkney Isles with this particular tradition spanning back over 200 years, with some costumes being handed down through generations. I set up a studio in their local school to capture their incredible costumes.
In the remote island of South Rolandsay, part of the Orkney Islands, nestled between the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean The Festival Of The Horse has taken once a year in the village of St Margaret's Hope for over 200 years. Young girls and boys gather at the local school for a contest circling the square dressed as working horses, complete with collar and headdress. Costumes and harnesses often passed down through families for generations and added to over the years are lovingly embellished with trinkets and keepsakes. This truly unique festival harks back to the strong agricultural heritage of the Orkney Isles when the harvest was a vital time of year for survival on this far flung archipelago of Islands in the far North of Scotland.
Held on the same day the South Ronaldsay Ploughing Match is a truly unique competition held at the highest tide ever August in Orkney and is believed to date back to the 1800’s. The early ploughs often just consisted of an ox hoof, or horn, tied to a stick. In 1920, the first miniature metal plough was made by the local blacksmith, Bill Hourston. Some of these are still in use today, and they are works of art, being precise replicas in every detail of full-size adult ploughs.
In the competition, each furrow must be identical to its neighbour. With a four to five feet square patch, the boys must plough straight and even furrows over the whole area. The judges look for the best start, which includes how the boys set the dreels, and the neatest ending of their work, as well as the overall ploughing. No help is allowed when ploughing.
